As a criminal charge, the penalties for a conviction of dangerous driving will affect the livelihood and ability to drive a motor vehicle, and include;

• Criminal record for life,
• Mandatory one-year drivers licence suspension, and
• Possibility of jail
• Fines
• Criminal Probation
• Dramatic insurance rates for at least five (5) years

If you have been charged with dangerous driving, call OTT Legal and get free legal advice about legal representation and fighting this charge.

Dangerous driving is a criminal driving charge where;

• the driver is accused of driving a motor vehicle with “wanton and reckless disregard for the lives and safety of others”.
• the dangerous driving must occur in a public place where there is a likelihood of people being present.
• there does not have to be anyone actually present for the offence of dangerous driving to be committed.

A public place is considered to be any place where the public has access to, including schools, parking lots, and shopping malls. The police and prosecution must also prove that the driver had “intent” to commit the dangerous driving.

To convict a driver of dangerous driving, the Criminal Code of Canada states that the court must consider all of the circumstances of the actions of the accused, such as;

• the nature, conditions and the use of the place
• the amount of traffic that is or might be expected to be present
• was there a danger to the public,
• who was present or, who might have been present, including for example a passenger in the car.
• the court also has to consider the mental element of the charge, did the driver plan on doing the act.
• If there is proof of an intention to operate a motor vehicle in away which would be a departure from the standard care that a normal driver would be expected to act.

The offence of dangerous driving has to be committed involving a motor vehicle as described in the Criminal Code, which is;

• any vehicle that is pushed, pulled or driven by an engine of any sort, including tractors, construction machines, and anything that has an engine attached to it.

For a conviction of dangerous driving, the prosecution and the police have to prove that there was intent to commit the act, the act was dangerous and there was or could be the likelihood of the public being present.

At OTT Legal we fight your Dangerous Driving charge to save your drivers licence from suspension and to avoid a criminal record.

As we have years of practical and legal experience with defending drivers charged with dangerous driving. We offer a free consultation to discuss your case at no obligation or charge to answer any questions you have and to explain how we can help you.

Many times, when we investigate the circumstances of a dangerous driving charge, we find that the driver was involved in an accident where the officer thinks they were driving dangerously.

What in fact comes out in court, was that the driver made a driving error, not that they planned on driving dangerous.

Accidents are not dangerous driving as there is usually no “intent” to drive dangerously.

Subsequently, OTT has been able to have many charges withdrawn completely or reduced to a traffic ticket.

If you have been charged with dangerous driving, call OTT Legal about legal representation and fighting this charge. Contact the office in your area >

“Motor vehicle” means a vehicle that is drawn, propelled or driven by any means other than muscular power, but does not include railway equipment. This includes, any farm machinery, construction machines, and any vehicle that has an engine attached to it.

OTT Legal helps our clients with Summary Criminal Code matters only and criminal matters that are within our scope of practice under the rules of the Law Society of Ontario.  Where you matter is of a more serious nature then we will be happy to refer your matter to a criminal lawyer that can assist you.